Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Interview with Lauren Baratz-Logsted & Contest

Author of: The Twins' Daughter

Part 1 of the Bloomsbury Fall 2010 book tour!

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Bookworm: Welcome, Lauren! To start, what was your inspiration for The Twins' Daughter?

Lauren: I'm fascinated with twins. Aren't most people? Well, except for actual twins, perhaps; maybe they're not as fascinated by it all as the rest of us are. So I decided I wanted to do a story from the point of view of the child of an identical twin.

Bookworm: Which character can you relate to the most?

Lauren: Ooh, that is a hard question! I'd like to saw I relate most to Kit--he's so heroic. The only problem with that is that I'm nowhere near as heroic. Maybe I'm most like Lucy's father? We are both writers.

Bookworm: Why did you want to write a book with a mystery aspect?

Lauren: It's not the first time. The adult novel Vertigo is also Victorian suspense. Secrets of my Suburban Life is a contemporary comedic YA with a mystery within it. Even The Sisters 8 series for young readers has a mystery that runs throughout. So I guess it wasn't so much me saying "I want to write a mystery" as me saying "I need to write this specific book now!" I do like to stretch different writing muscles.

Bookworm: Describe your writing process.

Lauren: I get an idea, a one-sentence idea that's somehow so large I can see an entire 250-to-400 page novel in it. Almost immediately, there's a main character and a title for the book. Then, when the idea starts burning so strong I can't stand it anymore, like Curious George, I sit down and begin to write. I typically write from 7 am to 4 pm--the hours my daughter is in school--and sometimes nights and weekends.

Bookworm: What are your writing essentials (snacks, music, etc)?

Lauren: I need to watch "General Hospital" every day. That's pretty much it. I'm not one of these rock bands with all their demands for when they're on the road--espresso machine, bowls of green-only M&Ms, etc. Really, I'm a very low-mantinence creator.

Bookworm: If you could travel back in time, which era would you like to visit?

Lauren: Victorian England, hands down. There's a reason why I've set more than one book in that time and place. I want to wear one of those dresses! I want to drive around in a carriage! I'm not sure I'd be as happy, though, with the state of the indoor plumbing.

Bookworm: What YA book have you read and loved recently?

Lauren: The most recent one I read and loved was Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I loved the atmospheric nature of the storytelling.

Bookworm: What is your next writing project?

Lauren: I'm still working on finishing The Sisters 8, the series of books for young readers that I write with my husband and daughter. My next YA, due out next year, is called The Middle March. This one is contemporary but it's strongly tied to a classic novel: Little Women.

Are you interested in reading Lauren's latest, The Twins' Daughter (expect my review soon!)? Enter below to win a copy! US only, please! To enter, simply leave your name and email address below. 2 extra points will be rewarded to followers of Bookworm Readers! This contest will close on October 15th, 2010. Good luck!